Love Never Fades
by dreamgurl
Summary: It takes place directly right after Heart of Mine. Max and Liz.


Love Never Fades

Love Never Fades

Category- It's actually Max and Liz, but it will have Maria and Michael, Liz and Sean, and Max and Tess. 

Summary- It takes place directly right after Heart of Mine. This first chapter is just mostly about Max thoughts :) My friend Roswell dreamer helped me a little. 

Disclaimer- I don't own Roswell, I wish I owned Jason Behr, but we can't have everything in this life, so don't sue.

A/N- I don't know why I started writing this. It was 3:30 in the morning and I couldn't fall asleep, so this is what happened. Please review, even though you'll probably think it sux.

Liz quietly closed her journal after writing and let her tears start to fall. How could Max do this to her? Sure, she had been the one who told him they should let go of each other, but how could he have just gone right over and start sucking face with that little slut? And he hadn't even noticed her standing there, watching them, with a grief-stricken face. How could he have forgotten her that fast? Unless he had forgotten about her long before then. Her mind started to wander a little further- Sean was cute. Really cute…and he was sweet. And he liked her. Maybe she would be happy with him. If Max could move on, so could she. She would prove it to him. Maybe she would even be able to suggest a double date sometime. That would so show him. Liz smiled to herself as she walked back into her bedroom.

Max sat on his bed, thinking to himself. The events of earlier that night had been really confusing for him. He had kissed Tess. Why had he kissed her? Or had he let her kiss him? He couldn't even remember how it happened. He wasn't sure what happened. He wasn't sure of anything. Did he have feelings for Tess? Had he forgotten Liz so easily? Kissing Tess had felt something like when she had been controlling him when she first came to Roswell. Then again, it had felt good. Possibly because she was a good kisser? Maybe that was what was happening, though. Maybe she was controlling him again. Immediately, the thought was forced out of his head. Of course she wasn't controlling him. He was just remembering his past feelings for her. Another voice in his head piped up, _but what about Liz? Don't you still love her? _This confused him even more. One part of him was saying he was starting to love Tess, yet the other part was saying he was still completely in love with Liz. What was going on?

Maria and Liz walked through the halls Monday morning.

"So, are you okay with seeing Max 1st period today?" Maria asked her best friend in a concerned voice, producing a vial of cedar oil from her backpack pocket. 

"Ugh. Maria, put that away! I thought you were over that aroma-therapy crud. And, yes, I'm perfectly fine with seeing Max 1st period. Why wouldn't I be?" Liz shrugged and tried to ignore the butterflies developing in her stomach.

"Well…I don't know. If I caught the love of my life making out with a whore like Tess at the prom, when he was supposed to be _my _date, I wouldn't be all peaches and crème and the prospect of seeing him in Trigonometry," Maria opened the bottle of oil, "Come on, take a whiff. You'll go into Trig feeling at peace." 

"Maria, I don't need some cedar oil to make me feel 'at peace'. I am at peace!" Liz argued.

"Honey, you don't look at peace to me."

"And why not?" Liz put her hands on her hips.

"Because before you said that last line…" Maria paused dramatically, "before you said that last line, you had just finished shredding your English paper." She pointed to the trail of paper bits behind Liz on the floor.

"Oh, my God!" Liz covered her mouth automatically, "Why didn't you tell me sooner? Now I have to redo the whole thing!" she whined.

"Sorry. I guess it slipped my mind."

"Thanks a bunch. I guess I will have some cedar oil, then…"

Max and Michael stopped right outside the door of Mr. Conner's Trigonometry class. Max didn't want to go in yet. 

"I can't believe you kissed her! Why, Maxwell?" Michael was saying. Quite loudly, too.

"Would you lower your voice? I don't know why. I think I might have feelings for her," Max answered, biting his lip.

Michael made a disgusted face, "I don't meanto sound immature, but…eww. Gross!" he imitated a high squeaky voice that sounded like Minnie Mouse.

"Michael, be serious. One side of me is nagging at me, insisting that I like Tess, but…" he faltered.

"But.." Michael prompted him impatiently.

"But the other side tells me I love Liz. It's like the Liz side is soft and sweet, while the Tess side is deep and demanding. Liz is Alto and Soprano, Tess is Tenor and Base. Liz is-"

Michael groaned. "Stop making it sound like a frigging musical! Here's what I think. You are still completely in love with Liz. You worship the ground she walks on. You worship the stores she buys her clothes from. You worship the-"

"I get the point, thank you very much."

"Sorry. Anyway, you love Liz. You're just so desperate that your mind is telling you that you would be better off with Tess-"

"Shh. Shut up!" Max hissed, nodding inconspicuously toward Liz's approaching figure. He didn't want to risk her hearing anything.

"Right. See ya later, Maximillian," Michael sauntered off, casually greeting Liz as she passed.

"See ya," Max called after him. "Hey, Liz!" he greeted her brightly. A little too brightly. As if he was guilty, or had something to hide. But he knew he didn't. Liz had made it perfectly clear they were never going to be together again. He had nothing to be guilty about. Whatever he did with Tess was none of Liz's business. Even after Max assured himself of this, the horrible feeling of guilt still gnawed on his insides. He couldn't help wondering- what if Liz had seen him and Tess? Well, he would find out soon enough. Liz was a very up front person.

"Oh, hi, Max." Liz looked down at her toes, which were showing because of the sandals she was wearing.

Max looked over her. She was wearing a dark red, spaghetti-string, tank top and white Capri's. Definitely sexy. _Okay, that's it. _He thought, smiling wryly, _You are still so in love with her. _At the same time, another voice whispered, _Tess is so much better. _It didn't sound like his own voice. It did sound familiar, he just wasn't quite sure exactly who it sounded like. "So, how was you- I mean, how are you?" Max stumbled over his words. He couldn't get them to sound write. _How was you, smart, Max. _he mocked himself. _I am losing it. _

"I'm great!" Liz chirped out. It came out sounding really high and phony. _Pull it together, girl! _She chided herself.

"Really? That's- that's great. I mean, that's good." Max was feeling very awkward. Liz's tone had been upbeat and cheerful enough. She was smiling, but it sounded like something was really bothering her.

"All right…Max?" Liz asked suddenly, wringing her hands together, "You know I hate beating around the bush, so…" she took a calming breath, "I saw you and Tess kissing at the prom." When she finished her sentence, she let her breath out in a short hiss.

_Oh, God! _Max thought to himself, "Um- you did?" he choked out. He wasn't sure why this was affecting him so deeply, but it was.

"Yeah, and…um- and I just wanted you to know that…I'm perfectly fine- I'm glad that you're…that you're moving on," her voice quavered a little, but stayed steady nonetheless, "You're moving on…and I'm moving on."

"You are?" Max couldn't believe he was feeling disappointed. Had he wanted Liz to be sitting in her room, crying her eyes out, pining away for him? How could he be so selfish? Another thought struck him. Who could she be with now…? He hadn't seen her with anyone lately… then it hit him. Sean. _How can she like Sean? _Sour bile rose up in his throat. Sean was so…Max inwardly shook his head. He was so much better than Sean. _Yeah, right. _The little voice in the back of his head laughed, _You're so much better that, instead of begging Liz to give the relationship a chance, you go run off and smooch Tess for some consolation. _Had that been it? Had Tess been consolation? Max felt like a bastard. 

"Goddammit, I am a bastard!" he muttered under his breath. 

"Excuse me?" Liz raised an eyebrow, trying to stifle her laughter. If she had heard correctly, Max had just declared himself a bastard. _At least he's admitting it. _

"Uh, what? Oh! Nothing. I didn't say anything," Max replied automatically, trying to bite his fingernail, but realizing he had chewed them all off the night before.

"Well, we'd better get inside, The bell's about to ring. Don't want to be late," she smiled at him, then turned and walked inside.

"Right."

Maria hunched over in her desk, pretending to read her stupid World History: STEPS INTO THE PAST textbook. _Who really cares about what Chinese people ate for breakfast in the 1800's? _she asked herself, _I sure don't. _She opened up the folded piece of paper from Michael. They had been passing notes all period. So far, the note read:

Hey, Michael!

What?

I can't believe Max!

What do you mean?

At the prom!

Oh, you mean him and the slut?

Exactly! He was supposed to be there with Liz! I think there's something weird going on…

Well, I think Max is a jerk!

Try using a stronger word Bastard! He's a bastard! I would say you're right, but Maxwell is my friend… I know I'm right!

You always are.

And he's a son of a bitch!

No comment.

It's true.

Wanna meet in the Eraser Room 3rd period? We can…discuss more on the subject of Max J

Maria giggled out loud. Michael was so romantic. Not. Mrs. Browning looked up from her desk with her huge blue granny glasses. "What do you find so funny about Chinese history, Mrs. DeLuca?" the teacher got up and walked over to Maria's desk. "Oh! Mrs. Browning! It was nothing! I didn't mean to-"

"What do we have here?" Mrs. Browning disdainfully picked up the note. A few students started to snicker. Max and Isabel (who were also in this class) leaned forward to see what would happen. "Hmm…how interesting," the teacher murmured as she scanned the paper, "I think I should read this out loud for the benefit of the class."

Maria cringed. There was no way Mrs. Browning could read it out loud. Max would so not be happy if he heard it. 

The teacher cleared her throat, "All right…first Maria says, 'Hey, Michael!'" she used a high-pitched cheerleader for Maria, "then Michael says, 'What?'" she used a low, deep voice fir Michael. By the time she finished reading it, the whole class was in fits of laughter and the tip of Max's ears were very red. 

"Well, Max," Mrs. Browning folded up the paper, "some of your friends seem to think that you are a…what were the words?" she checked the paper, "Ah, yes. Bastard and son of a bitch!" she turned sharply to Maria, "Mrs. DeLuca, both you and Mr. Guerin have detention with me this afternoon." 

Max shot an evil death glare at Maria and Michael. Michael put on a, 'Hey, it wasn't me, man' face and shrugged. Isabel, who sat behind Max, snorted softly, but loud enough for Max to hear. He sunk deeper into his chair. "Thanks for the support."

"And also, Mr. Guerin, I seriously hope you still aren't planning on taking Mrs. DeLuca to the Eraser Room?"

Michael didn't answer. 

"Unless, of course, you both wish a weeks' worth of detentions?"

Maria and Michael both turned bright red.

Maria found Liz seated in her usual spot in English and rushed over next to her. Her face was flushed and pink. "Oh, Liz, it was horrible!" she squealed. Half a dozen faces sitting behind them turned attentively to listen to potential gossip. 

"Mind your own business!" Liz snapped. They did. "What happened, Maria?"

"Oh, my God! It was horrible! Michael and I were passing notes in class-" she hiccupped.

"So?" Liz asked, confused.

"So?! So, then stupid Mrs. Browning comes over and…and she reads it…out loud!" Maria covered her face in her in her hands.

"Oh, poor you…what was the note about?"

"Um…we were just commenting on Max being a bastard," Maria smiled.

"What?! But Max is in that class!"

"I know! He was…not a happy camper." Maria shrugged, "But hey! He deserved it!"

"What were you thinking?!" Liz moaned.

"And that's not even the worst part!"

"What's the worst part?" Liz asked dully.

"Michael didn't even want to meet in the Eraser Room afterwards!" 


End file.
